Department of Agricultural Resource Management, University of Embu, P. O. Box 6, Embu, 60100, Kenya.
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, P. O. BOX 27, Embu, 60100, Kenya.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2024 Oct 15;56(8):345. doi: 10.1007/s11250-024-04189-3.
Fodder scarcity and low quality affect the productivity of dairy cattle in Kenya yet only few smallholder dairy farmers show positive deviance in fodder conservation. Information on the strategies of such positive deviant (PD) farmers is scanty. The objective of this study was to determine strategies that distinguish PDs from peers (non-PDs) in fodder conservation among smallholder dairy farmers in highlands and midlands of Kenya. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among farms producing and conserving fodder in Tharaka Nithi County. Multistage sampling procedures was used; purposive sampling of the Sub-counties and locations, random selection of villages and proportional selection of 246 farms through snowball chain referral. Data were collected on demographic, socio-economic, farm characteristics and fodder conservation. Farms were categorized as PDs (n = 24) or non-PDs (n = 97). The PDs conserved fodder adequate to last dry season (about 3 months) and had milk yield 15 kg/cow/day and above, while non-PDs do not qualify for both criteria. Chi-square and T-test were used to analyze categorical and continuous variables respectively. Logit regression was used to examine independent variables that influence probability of PDs. Farmers with high school and tertiary education who accessed extension services were PDs while non-PDs had non-formal and primary education and access extension less. Farms conserving hay and silage dominated PDs. Land in hectare (ha) and herd sizes in Tropical Livestock Unit (TLU) distinguished PDs (1.7 ha and 9.0 TLU) from non-PDs (0.7 ha and 3.3 TLU). The strategies that distinguished PDs from non-PDs were allocating land to fodder production, high milk yield kg/cow/day, large herd size and access to extension services. Increasing access to extension and resources (land) raised chances of PDs in fodder conservation. Knowledge of PDs strategies is important for fodder conservation, improve productivity and inform direction of future research.
饲料短缺和质量低下影响了肯尼亚奶牛的生产力，但只有少数小农户奶牛养殖者在饲料保存方面表现出积极的偏离。关于这些积极偏离（PD）农民的策略的信息很少。本研究的目的是确定在肯尼亚高地和中地的小农户奶牛养殖者中，区分 PD 与同行（非 PD）在饲料保存方面的策略。在塔纳罗阿县进行了一项关于生产和保存饲料的农场的横断面调查。采用多阶段抽样程序；在县和位置上进行了选择抽样，在村庄上进行了随机选择，通过雪球链推荐对 246 个农场进行了比例选择。收集了关于人口统计、社会经济、农场特征和饲料保存的数据。将农场分为 PD（n=24）和非 PD（n=97）。PD 保存的饲料足以维持干季（约 3 个月），并且产奶量为 15 公斤/头/天以上，而非 PD 则不符合这两个标准。使用卡方检验和 T 检验分别分析分类和连续变量。使用逻辑回归检查影响 PD 概率的独立变量。接受过推广服务的高中和大专教育的农民是 PD，而非 PD 则接受过非正规和小学教育，并且接受的推广服务较少。保存干草和青贮料的农场主要是 PD。公顷（ha）和热带牲畜单位（TLU）的畜群规模区分了 PD（1.7 ha 和 9.0 TLU）和非 PD（0.7 ha 和 3.3 TLU）。区分 PD 与非 PD 的策略是将土地分配给饲料生产、高牛奶产量 kg/头/天、大畜群规模和获得推广服务。增加推广和资源（土地）的获取提高了 PD 在饲料保存方面的机会。了解 PD 策略对于饲料保存、提高生产力和为未来研究指明方向非常重要。
